Leafpool's Choice
by LightningClanliveson
Summary: We all know it. That fateful night where Leafpool's secret was revealed. But this story has a interesting...twist to it. Join Leafpool as the greatest change in her life occurs, and according to the prophecy, find out what choice she makes.
1. Disclaimer

**Disclaimer!**

Warriors belongs to Erin Hunter and not me, and Sonic belongs to Sega and not me.

The Sonic in this story is an AU of mine where he is older, a werewolf (think Twilight for his wolf form), and also involved with a sort of spiritual world, like the Clans are to StarClan

This is an idea I've had for a long time, and thought it would make a nice story.

The following characters that will appear later DO belong to me: Garrett, Imber, Frost, Whitestar, Shila

Okay! Now that that's out of the way, go ahead and enjoy the story! :3


	2. Prologue

The stars glittered brightly in the clearing, and in that clearing walked a lone tortiseshell she-cat. She was visibly scared, constantly looking from side to side and her muscles tensed. She shuddered. "This is so strange...I don't know a single blade of grass around here..." _And the one who summoned me._ She added silently. _I heard her voice, but I never saw her face...why would she hide herself like that?_

"Spottedleaf." She stopped in place when a voice called her name. At first, she grew even more nervous, then realized that was the same voice she'd heard before.

"Yes! I'm here!" She yowled to the forest around her. "Can you please come out now?"

"I can, but you must promise not to run when you see me. I am not what you think I am." Spottedleaf looked puzzled. 'Not what' she thought she was? What could that possibly mean? There was no other choice but to find out.

"I promise I won't run." She mewed. "Please, show yourself." There was a moment of silence, then soft pawsteps were heard in front of her. In the brightness of the starry clearing, it was hard to make out the figure approaching her. She knew it was too big to be a cat, but not bulky enough to be anything like a badger. She stared harder, and as it came into view, every hair on her pelt bristled. This was a creature she'd never thought she'd ever see in her life, but she knew so much about from things she had heard. "Y-You're...you're a wolf!"

"Yes, I am." The wolf barked calmly.

"But...how can you speak cat so perfectly?" Spottedleaf blurted out. "How did you even find me in StarClan?"

"I know the one who is in charge of your lands. I needed a cat that could speak to ThunderClan, and we could think of no better cat than you, Spottedleaf." Spottedleaf was trembling with a mixture of excitement and nervousness. This wolf really knew the one at the head of StarClan itself, andthey had chosen _her_ specifically. She knew this had to be important. "One of the cats in your former Clan is about to experience the greatest challenge in their life. You are only to warn them of what it is." She paused for a moment, leaning a bit closer and proceeding to say the following: "Even the gentlest of souls have a wild side. When the wolf howls and the cat meows, a choice must be made."

Spottedleaf's eyes stretched wide open. What could this have to do with wolves? Then again, a wolf was the one telling this to her, so this obviously held truth. "Go and find your Clan's current leader. Tell them. They will not understand now, but soon it will be made clear." She nodded and turned to dash away, then suddenly stopped and looked back to see the wolf already leaving.

"Wait!" She called out. "I don't even know your name!"

The wolf paused in her tracks, then answered with a soft voice: "My name is Shila."


	3. Chapter 1 P1

It was another nice evening in the ThunderClan camp. The clearing was busy with cats, chattering or doing their duties. It seemed like there wasn't the slightest bit of trouble in the midst of the throng of cats. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case for all of them. Leafpool sat by the fresh-kill pile, aside from some other warriors. She had a starling at her paws, but she hadn't touched it; she was much too lost in her thoughts. Just a few moons ago, her life seemed to have fallen apart. The secret of her kits had been revealed to all the Clans, her daughter had tried to kill her, and now she seemed to be dead. If that wasn't enough, she had also been stripped of her title of Medicine Cat, her lasting two kits would never forgive her, her former mate had broken her heart, and she had completely destroyed the relationship between her sister and her mate. She felt like an utter failure.

The entire time, her Clanmates usually gave her dirty looks when she was around them. Sometimes they even muttered about her when they thought she wasn't listening. She ended up crying a lot lately, and it wasn't hard to tell why. It seemed like the only cat she could count on was Squirrelflight, her sister. Even though she was the reason her relationship was gone, she still stayed by her side. Right now, she was listening to Brambleclaw as he assigned patrols, so she couldn't even talk to her. But her emotions were boiling over so much she couldn't wait. She just got up and ran out of the camp, ignoring one of her Clanmates yowling at her.

She ran as fast as her paws would take her, fueled and blinded by emotion. It was times like this that she wished she had stayed with Crowfeather, away from the Clans and free to love him. But it was all different now. She had made her choice, and it was much too late to change it. Suddenly Leafpool rammed into something soft and furry and she yowled in surprise as the world spun around her. When it slowed down, she got up and shook herself.

"Whoa...hey. What's all the rush about? Are you okay?" A male voice asked, snapping her out of her trance. She looked to the source, and found herself looking at the face of a familiar blue hedgehog.

"Oh...sorry, Sonic." She murmured. "I guess I wasn't looking where I was going..."

"It's fine, but are you okay?" Sonic asked again as he sat up.

"Yeah...I..." Now that there was someone else willing to talk to her, everything she had ever wanted to say to someone was beginning to boil over again. But this was Firestar's friend. Surely, he'd already told him?

"Leafpool." Sonic's tone turned gentle, like he'd already guessed what was going on. "If there's something you want to talk about, I'll listen."

Leafpool stared for a few moments, then she just began crying. "My whole life is ruined! Hollyleaf revealed the secret to all the Clans, that I'm their real mother and their father was Crowfeather! Now she's dead, and my other two kits hate me!" Her voice was beginning to grow into a wail as she went on. "Crowfeather never wants to look at me ever again! I destroyed my sister's relationship with her mate! Now I'm not even a medicine cat anymore! Everyone hates me!" She looked into Sonic's eyes, which were wide open with shock. "Oh Sonic, the looks that the Clan gives to me, the things they say behind my back! They think I'm not even worthy to be their Clanmate!"

"Leafpool, Leafpool." Sonic placed a hand on her shoulder. "I don't think they're doing all that...you may be imagining things. They shouldn't talk about you like that; you're just as important as you ever were."

Leafpool sighed. "I wish I could believe that..." She muttered. "I'm convinced the only reason I'm still in this Clan is because the leader is my father..."

"Leafpool, that is not true." He said to her.

"Hey, hey! If it isn't the big blue boy!" They both looked to see a patrol coming up to them, Dustpelt in the lead. "How's everything, Sonic?"

"Fine." He smiled at the group of cats. Leafpool didn't look up as the two talked. She didn't need to; she could feel the gazes of the other patrol cats burning into her fur like she was a rouge.

"Hi, Leafpool." Dustpelt mewed to her in a dull voice.

"Hi..." She muttered.

"Well, we'd better get on with it." Dustpelt said to Sonic, his voice peppy again. "These borders won't patrol themselves." He waved his tail and the patrol walked away.

"Why are they doing that to you?" Sonic asked fiercely once they were out of earshot. "Staring at you like you're a fox among cats!"

"I told you..." Was all she said.

Sonic growled softly. "Hmph. I was going to visit Firestar, but if he's doing nothing about this, I have no reason to see him." He stood up, his all fours stance odd since he had the structure of a Twoleg. "See you later, Leafpool."

She wasn't ready to lose his company yet. "Wait!" She mewed, getting up, then wincing inwardly when she realized it sounded desperate. Calming her voice, she added, "Do you want to at least hunt before you go?"

Sonic smiled after a moment. "Sure. I can't hunt here, though."

"Nonsense! Firestar said you're welcome here." She protested.

"He said I'm welcome, not that I could take prey." He tilted his head a little bit. "It's his territory, and I'm not about to violate it. If you want to hunt with me, we'll have to go out of the Clans altogether." Noticing Leafpool's nervousness, he chuckled lightly. "Don't worry, I'll look after you."

Her fur bristled slightly. She didn't need anyone to look after her! She was perfectly capable of doing it herself. As she thought about it though, she realized that Sonic _did_ know the outside territories way better than she did. She sighed. "Okay." The two began to walk away from ThunderClan territory in silence. It was strange, but Leafpool felt even more safe with Sonic than she normally did with her own Clanmates. If it was a bad thing, she wasn't sure. She remembered how she had felt this way with Crowfeather...maybe this might be bad. Suddenly the scent of WindClan wafted into her nose and she stopped in place. She stared ahead into the moorlands, her paws rooted right on the border. This was where she had met Crowfeather, when he still loved her.

"Leafpool?" Sonic's voice snapped her out of it. He was already on the other side of the stream. "Leafpool, come on. I know this is where all your troubles started, but they shouldn't care much about us passing though." Puffing out his chest a bit, he added, "Even if they did try to fight, they're outmatched."

She couldn't supress a chuckle. She knew he was right; even the strongest ShadowClan warriors would be wary of fighting him. She leapt over the stream after him and they continued on through WindClan territory. She got nervous all over again when they were there, just hoping that a patrol wouldn't come. Moments after, a group of cats were walking their way. She winced. _Mousedung!_

"What are you two doing on WindClan territory?" Leafpool recognized Webfoot as he spoke up.

"Hello, Webfoot." Sonic spoke, surpisingly calm. "We're just passing through."

"...you better not be taking her to the Moonpool." Webfoot hissed as he raked Leafpool's fur with his glare. "She's not a medicine cat anymore."

"I know that. I'm not taking her there." Sonic's voice grew slightly more tense. It was hard for her to interpret exactly why he got agitated so quickly when her betrayal was mentioned. "We're just going to hunt. Outside of your territory," He added when he saw the WindClan warriors tense.

"Very well. If we see a patch of fur left inside our borders, you best believe we'll confront you." Webfoot growled.

Sonic narrowed his eyes. "Come on, Leafpool." He turned and walked on, Leafpool not hesitating to follow. She felt the gazes of the WindClan warriors glued to them, so she had no doubt they were watching them leave. It seemed like moons passed until the were finally out of WindClan's borders, and she let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. They continued traveling in silence for a little bit before Sonic stopped, tasting the air. "Seems to be a good bit of prey around here." He looked at Leafpool. "You want me to wait for you to hunt first, or..?"

"No, no. You can hunt on your own." She mewed.

"Are you sure? You don't know the lands out here like I do."

"I'm sure." She confirmed.

"...alright. See you in a bit, then." The two then went their seperate ways in search of prey. Leafpool trotted on along the unknown woodland, thoughts other than prey running in her head. Surely they could part just to find prey. They'd probrably eat out here, and she would have something to bring back to the Clan later. She shook her head, then opened her mouth to taste the air. Squirrel. No sooner that she had looked to her right did she see the furry creature sitting by a tree, nibbling on a nut. Dropping into the hunter's crouch, she slowly edged forward. Suddenly the wind changed, sending her scent right to the rodent's nose. It turned to see her and scurried off, and Leafpool was hard on its paws. Her chances of catching it seemed pretty good...until the squirrel dashed up a tree. She was moving too fast to stop in time, and ended up ramming into the trunk.

"Owww..." She stumbled backward some, shaking herself. "Huh! You call yourself a warrior? You can hardly hunt." She hissed to herself. Tasting the air, she picked up another scent, and it was a scent she half wished she didn't pick up. _Wolf!_ Maybe it had been a bad idea to seperate herself from Sonic. Quickly she abandoned the squirrel and trotted around to find the big blue hedgehog. She heard rustling beside her, and she stopped. "...Sonic? Is that you?" She asked nervously. Hearing a growl, she hissed, "Sonic, this is not funny! I'm not Whitestar!" She heard another low growl, and saw gleaming yellow eyes. It was right then she realized...this wasn't Sonic.


	4. Chapter 1 P2

Sonic had just managed to catch himself a rabbit. Proud of himself, he picked it up and started to walk, wondering where Leafpool had gone off to. As if that were a cue, he suddenly heard a loud scream for help. _Leafpool!_ He dropped the rabbit and ran as fast as he could to where he'd heard the sound. When he arrived, his eyes shot wide open at what he saw. A huge reddish-brown wolf was pounding on Leafpool savagely, like she was no more than prey to it. "SONIC! HELP ME!" She wailed, uselessly trying to defend herself against the canine beast.

Letting out a fearsome snarl, he launched himself at the wolf and took it down. He bit down into its tail and dragged it about, taking a few blows to the head as his opponent thrashed around wildly. Suddenly he felt teeth clamp on the back of his neck and he roared in pain, thrusting himself up fast enough to knock the wolf off. He slashed his claws at its face as it tried to come back to get him, and jumped back before it could recover. He ran at it the same time it did, but he slipped to the side and bit its side, moving around so it wouldn't get a chance to bite his tail. He let go, and continued to dash around it, landing small blows on its body. The wolf tried its best to keep up, but Sonic was too fast for it to really get a hit in. When Sonic pinned it down, it roared in defeat and kicked him off.

As Sonic was getting back up, he noticed the wolf running away. "Heh. Yeah! Tail between your legs, you wuss!" He called out after it. Turning back to Leafpool, he gasped; She had a lot of wounds, and the worst was on her back, deep and bleeding a lot. She was close to unconsciousness. "Oh no..." Without a second thought, he picked her up by her scruff and sped out of the forest, straight back to the Clans. He completely ignored a WindClan hunting party yowling in surpise as he raced past. Leaping over the border like it didn't exist, he went straight toward the ThunderClan camp.

"Sonic! Sonic!" He heard a feminine voice call his name, and he stopped momentarily. He turned to see Squirrelflight approaching him. Suddenly she gasped when she saw his cargo. "Is that-?"

"Yes, it's Leafpool!" He barked around the mouthful of fur. "And she's at risk of death!"

Squirrelflight nodded, clearly understanding the intensity of the situation. "I'll tell Jayfeather." She raced ahead of him. He followed suit, breaking into the camp soon after she did. He faintly ignored the gasps coming from the ThunderClan cats, putting her down gently."Jayfeather! Jayfeather!" He almost called his name a third time, but then he noticed Squirrelflight trotting out with the slender tabby tom.

"I'm here, I'm here." He mewed. He went straight over to them, bending down to sniff Leafpool. "What happened?"

"She wanted to hunt with me, so we went out of the territory. I asked her if she wanted me to stay with her, but she said she would be fine on her own. It wasn't even a long time for her to get attacked by a wolf." The worry was clear in his voice.

Jayfeather straightened up a bit and scoffed. "She should've known better than to just go off like that in unknown territory..."

Sonic's eyes widened. How could he say that about his own mother? He growled. "Whatever! Listen. She could _die._ You're the medicine cat here, so _do your job and help her!"_

Jayfeather and some of the other cats leaned away. "Okay, okay...keep your fur on." He muttered, grabbing Leafpool's scruff. "Lionblaze, help me get her in my den." A golden tabby tom came over and assisted him in picking her up and bringing her to the den. Sonic watched them closely, his tail twitching irritably. He let out a soft growl and walked over to the den, laying down right at the entrance and waiting. _I can't believe this...even her own son hesitated to help her when she was in danger! He just scolded her! What kind of kinship is that?!_ His claws dug in the ground a bit.

"Hey." He glanced to his right and saw exactly who he hadn't wanted to see: Firestar. "Are you alright?"

"What do you think?" He grumbled.

"Okay, take it easy, will you?" He mewed. "I just came to check on you."

"What about Leafpool?" Sonic sat up some to look him in the eye. "I didn't see you rush over when I brought her in. Don't you care about her?"

"I had fallen asleep. Dustpelt just told me what happened." He said in defense, leaning back slightly. "And of course I care for her! I love her with all my heart!"

"Then why don't you do anything about it?"

"About what?"

"About the treatment she gets now! She told me in the forest. All of your little loyal warriors talk smack about her behind her back and give her dirty looks. She thinks you're the only reason why she's still in the Clan. Because letting her go would make you look bad as both a leader and a father." He studied Firestar's shocked and nervous expression a bit before continuing. "Even when Jayfeather came out, he didn't seem at all concerned about her. He just said that 'she should have known better'. He wouldn't have done anything if I hadn't yelled at him!"

"You know I can hear you." The medicine cat's voice interjected.

"I don't care! Do your job!" He barked back.

Firestar flinched. "Okay, calm down..."

Sonic whipped his head around. "Calm down? Firestar, this is your daughter! Why aren't _you_ panicking?"

"I am, but I'm also concerned about how much you're panicking. You're not even related to her."

Sonic scowled at him. "And yet, I'm the only one that seems to care." He turned away from him, ending any further discussion. Firestar stuck his head in the den for a moment, then walked away. _Hmph. Bet now you care, Firestar._ He thought savagely. _I probably hit a soft spot._ He closed his eyes, not wanting to think about it. He must've dozed off, because what seemed like moments later, a paw was jabbing him in the side and he opened his eyes, a bit groggily. "...huh?"

Lionblaze was standing next to him. "If you wanna see Leafpool, she's awake now." He mewed. That woke him right up, suddenly remembering why he'd been laying there in the first place. He got up and stuck in half his body in the den. Jayfeather jumped back with a hiss.

"Great StarClan! Warn me next time!" He spat.

Sonic completely ignored him, looking at Leafpool. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Leafpool smiled at him. "But I don't remember all of what happened..."

"You were mousebrained and went off on your own in unknown territory." Jayfeather spat.

Sonic barked at him. "Shut up!" He looked back at Leafpool. "What _really_ happened was that you got attacked by a wolf. Thankfully, I came before it finished you off."

"Oh...wow." Leafpool headbutted him gently. "Thank you, Sonic."

He smiled too. "You're welcome." Suddenly he felt something cold and wet touching the back of his neck and he flinched backwards.

"Calm down, spikey. It's just me." Jayfeather mewed. "I'm just checking this wound you got back here."

"It's fine, Jay. I'll live."

The tabby tom turned toward him, such an expression of annoyance in his eyes that it was hard to believe he was blind. "Don't call me Jay."

Sonic chuckled lightly, then looked at Leafpool again. "I'll come check on you again later today, alright?"

"Okay. See you then." She purred. Sonic backed out of the den and headed straight for the exit.

"Sonic!" He looked back to see Squirrelflight bounding up to him. "You going so soon?"

"Yeah. I think she'll be okay now."

"Okay. I...I just wanted to say that...I'm glad I'm not the only one that cares about her. She's made some bad choices...but she's still my sister."

"Well, you've got the right attitude. I wish the rest of your Clan felt the same. See you later, Sassy." He turned back and kept walking.

"Bye, Spikes!" She called after him. He chuckled quietly as he went out of the camp. He walked for a while, then suddenly broke into a dash. This was a thing he normally did when something stressful had happened, as it was a good way for him to let loose. After a while of running, he suddenly found himself at the Moonpool.

 _The Moonpool..._ Why his path had taken him here, he wasn't sure, but for some reason...he had a feeling. There was some sort of reason why he needed to be here. He just wasn't sure of it. He hesitated, then walked over to the water and settled down. _How did those medicine cats do this..?_ Soon after asking himself the question, he remembered. He lapped up some of the water and closed his eyes.


	5. Chapter 2

He opened his eyes again to find himself in a starry field. Sitting up, he stared around in awe. "That actually worked...I'm in StarClan..." He murmured.

"Sonic." He quickly turned around to see a blue-gray she cat standing behind him. After a moment, he recognized her as Bluestar, one of the great leaders that he'd heard so much about. "Come with me. There's somewhere you have to go." She turned and bounded off without another word, and he followed soon after. He had a lot of questions, but he decided not to act on them now. He briefly noticed other somewhat familiar cats as they ran; Yellowfang from ThunderClan, Oakheart from RiverClan-he saw him a lot-one from WindClan...Tallstar. That's who it was. Soon they were at the outskirts of StarClan territory when Bluestar stopped.

He stopped too, panting a bit. "Why...are we out this far?" He asked in between breaths.

"There's someone that wishes to see you. She says you know her." Bluestar mewed, seeming to not be tired at all. Sitting down and looking ahead, she added, "She should be here any second now..."

He tilted his head slightly, confused. Who was this female, and how would he know her if he had no idea what the former leader was talking about? Like Bluestar, he sat down and waited, staring into the unclaimed lands outside StarClan. After a bit, he could make out a being walking toward them. It wasn't clear, so he stood up again and stared hard. The being began to be seen as a wolf...His eyes widened. As the wolf approached, he finally realized who it was. "...Shila?"

"Hello, Sonic." The she-wolf smiled at him. "I'm glad you made it."

"So he does know you." Bluestar mewed. There was a note of relief in her voice. "Good. Now you can help us with this...prophecy of yours."

Sonic's ears perked. "Prophecy?"

Shila nodded. "Yes. You came to the Clans's Moonpool because I had to talk with you immediately. Just two nights ago, I came to Spottedleaf to tell ThunderClan's leader, and now you must know as well." She walked over to a small puddle and dipped her nose in it. "Look." He did as he was told, and the water soon showed the image of a cat. It's shadow, however, was completely different; it had the image of a wolf. The cat stood on a path that had a two-way split, and it looked like it didn't know which one to take. Suddenly he heard Shila's voice of silk whisper into his ear: "Even the gentlest of souls have a wild side. When the wolf howls and the cat meows, a choice must be made."

The image disappeared, and he looked back up at Shila. "I dont understand...what does this have to do with the Clans?"

"You will see, in due time." The response only made Sonic more confused, but before he could say something, he felt a sharp jab at his side. His eyes closed tight, and when they opened again, Shila, Bluestar, and the starry field was gone. Instead he found himself at the Moonpool. Why had he suddenly been woken up? He could have gotten a better understanding!

"Sonic?" He looked over to see Firestar standing beside him. "What are you doing here? I thought you left."

"Well, I did leave, but I ended up coming here on accident." He sat up, a bit stiff from crouching so long. "Why are you here, though?"

Firestar hesitated. "Well...I...I recieved an unusual prophecy a few days ago. I had a dream where Spottedleaf came to me and said this: _'Even the gentlest of souls have a wild side. When the wolf howls and the cat meows, a choice must be made.'_ I don't know why this deals with wolves, why this deals with the Clans, or what it could even mean. That's why I'm here."

Sonic's eyes widened slightly. "...what if I told you I was literally just told the same thing?"

The orange tabby perked up. "Really? Do you think you have a better understanding of it?"

He sighed. "Nope. I'm just as lost as you are."

"...well...you are part wolf. Maybe that has something to do with it?" Firestar suggested. At first Sonic was about to tell him that was stupid, but as he took it into consideration, he realized that the thought wasn't too farfetched. It made sense, but at the same time, it didn't. "Something else that confuses me too...Spottedleaf said that she was told this by a wolf..."

"A wolf?" He perked a bit. "Did she say what this wolf looked like?"

"Yeah. Said it was a pure white she-wolf."

"I know exactly who she meant." When the cat looked up at him again, he went on. "That wolf is Shila. She is the one in charge of what we werewolves simply call our Ancestors."

"So it's like StarClan?"

"Yes and no. It's similar, because that's where an Alpha goes to get their full ranking and lives."

"Do you get nine lives like us?"

He shook his head. "No, but close. We get six. Shila's the one that gives us our lives and prophecies. In other words, I know her pretty well."

"Hopefully well enough to understand this prophecy?"

Sonic shook his head again, chuckling lightly. "If there's anything she likes doing, it's making a riddle out of every prophecy she gives."

Firestar shook his head. "I'm sorry, I'm asking you questions like a kit."

"Oh, it's fine. I get asked a lot." He shrugged and stood up, stretching a bit. "Now, I should probably get going."

"Alright. See you later." Firestar mewed as Sonic walked past him. Now alone, Sonic began to really think about this prophecy. _A cat with the shadow of a wolf...and it was at a split path._ Thinking to the back to the attack, he remembered the reddish wolf. It's scent wasn't just wolf...it was also fox. Its appearance was notibly different, now that he thought about it. He'd seen wolves with tints of red fur, but no wolf around here he'd seen had fur of color, except for variations of grey. He stopped in place, his eyes wide open. _Could it be...? ...I've gotta talk to Shila again._ He dashed out of the Clan territories; this had to be figured out now.

* * *

Leafpool walked out the den and stretched. She had been released from the medicine den earlier that day, strangely. Somehow, her wounds from the attack had healed very quickly. Already, it looked like the attack hadn't happened at all. Even Jayfeather couldn't comprehend it. But it didn't matter now; since she was better, she could go back to serving her Clan. Firestar had come back by now, and was off at a Gathering. She knew he was troubled by something, but she had decided not to ask.

To take her mind off it, she trotted out of the camp to hunt. Hopefully, she'd have better luck in her own territory. Normally, she would have been sleeping, but she felt full of energy tonight. Another thing she couldn't comprehend. She pushed the thought to the back of her mind and focused on vole she'd scented. Soon she saw it ahead of her and she dropped to the hunter's crouch, slowly moving forward. As she did, she felt a dull pain in her body. She figured it was just a bit of pain from what had happened earlier. She wriggled her haunches and pounced...suddenly she felt a sharp jolt of pain, and she let out a cry, landing awkwardly and scaring off the vole.

She felt shaky and hot, and the pain began getting stronger. What was going on with her? She had felt fine before she had left the camp. Deciding to head back to camp and rest, she turned around, only to be rattled with another jolt of pain, almost making her fall over. She dug her claws into the dirt to try and stop her trembling, but it felt like everything in her was changing...All of a sudden, she heard a crackling noise and felt an even worse pain in her body. Something sharp kept pricking her lips-was it her own teeth?-and she was dimly aware of feeling bigger. The real issue, however, was in her mind. _What's...happening...can't...focus..._ She heard a deep growling noise faintly, and soon she realized it was coming from her. _Why...am I..._ Suddenly she began to feel a dark hunger. _...need...food...hunt...kill..._

Her glowing eyes shut tight. _No..! I...kill...kill...no...this...is not me...don't...hunt... **KILL**._ She threw her head up and let out a wild howl, the darkness taking over her mind. Now in the body of a wolf, she turned and dashed off, ready to make her first kill of the night.


	6. Chapter 3

Early in the morning, Firestar was trotting out in the territory, alone. His daughter, Leafpool, hadn't been in the warriors' den most of the night, and this worried him. She couldn't be with Crowfeather, could she? No, he had broken whatever ties that had been left with her. She could've went somewhere with Sonic...nope, Sonic would have come to ask him permission to take her out farther than the Clan territories. Just where had Leafpool gone _this_ time?

Up ahead, he saw a shape laying by a bush. Thinking it may have been a rouge, he crouched down and snuck around to face them. When he was in front of them, he stood up and growled...suddenly his green eyes stretched wide in horror. _No...Leafpool!_ He stared in dismay as his daughter laid in a crumpled heap, blood covering her fur. He bend down, nudging her. "Leafpool? Please wake up...please..." He whimpered. He closed his eyes, sending a silent prayer to his ancestors. _Oh, StarClan...please don't take my daughter from me! You know how much I need her in my life..._ Suddenly he heard moaning and his eyes flew wide open. The light brown tabby was stirring at his paws. He was dizzy with relief. _Thank you, StarClan!_

"...where...what happened..." She murmured. Her gaze landed on his paws and she slowly looked up. "Firestar..?"

"Leafpool. Are you alright?" He asked urgently. "What happened? Why are you covered in blood?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, I-" Leafpool stopped short, then stared at him with bewilderment in her eyes. "Wait, what?" She looked at herself, and her eyes stretched even wider. She looked back at Firestar, horrified. "I...I don't understand...I'm not even hurt..."

"Wait...you're not?"

"No...this blood isn't mine..." His daughter's words further baffled him. She was covered in blood...yet, she wasn't hurt? For a moment, she sounded like her son Lionblaze-he could defeat an army of cats singlepawed, thanks to StarClan's gift-but the more he thought about it, he realized he couldn't be sure.

"Firestar!" The leader jumped hearing his name called. He turned and saw Sonic coming over to them. "I really need to talk to-" When he saw Leafpool, he stopped in his tracks. At first he looked horrified, then it quickly shifted to anger. "...what happened?"

"I just found her out here like this." He mewed. "Not sure what happened to her." As he watched Sonic bend down to look at his daughter closely, he added, "That blood's not her's."

Sonic stared at him with a look that mirrored his own confusion. "It's not?" He looked back at the she-cat. "No...that can't be right..."

"I can show you." Leafpool mewed then turned and began vigorously licking herself. As the two watched, his eyes widened in astonishment. She was right; where she had cleaned off the blood was completely free of wounds.

"What...how..." He murmured, lost for words completely. He looked at Sonic, and noticed that he was staring at her with a strange look in his eyes...like he knew something. "Um...Sonic?"

"...I think I know what happened." Sonic stood up. "Follow me." He turned and walked away, Leafpool getting up and with him following last. This whole morning had made him utterly baffled. First his daughter was found covered in blood, next she turned out to not be hurt at all, and now Sonic somehow knew what was happening? He wished it could all click for him like it had done for his blue spiked friend. Something Sonic had said snapped him from his thoughts, and he briefly noticed they had walked to the lake. "Leafpool, do you remember anything from last night?"

"Well...I remember watching Firestar leave for the Gathering...and I wasn't tired, so I decided to go out and hunt. Then I remember...pain. After that it's nothing." She meowed.

Sonic's eyes narrowed slightly. "Look in the water." Firestar watched as Leafpool did as told, at first not sure what his intentions were. Suddenly Leafpool yowled and leapt backwards, her fur fluffed up and eyes wide open.

"What happened?" He asked as he was immediately on his paws.

"I-I-I saw a wolf!" Leafpool stuttered. "I w-was looking at my own reflection, and th-then a w-w-wolf replaced it!"

"Is it a sign from StarClan?"

"No." The two looked at Sonic. Firestar flinched inwardly at the intense look in his eyes. "It's not from StarClan. It's something that even I can easily interpret."

"Then what is it?" The brown tabby asked anxiously.

"Leafpool...it hurts me to say this to you, but...you've become a werewolf."

 _"What?"_ The shock in her voice completely measured up to Firestar's own. "But...but that's impossible! The only werewolf around here is you!"

"That's not true. Remember when you got attacked by that wolf?" Leafpool nodded. "Well, it had a reddish fur color. I've seen plenty of wolves in the surrounding area, but none of them were any color except for different shades of gray. I went to the Star Crystal-it's like the Moonpool, but for packs-and I spoke to Shila again. She told me that the wolf that we encountered was actually a fox."

"A fox!" Firestar echoed in disbelief. "How can a fox become...?"

"Easy. It could have ran into another werewolf and got bitten. Any creature with flesh and blood can become a werewolf." He looked at Leafpool. "Including you. I've seen signs that identifies a new one. Blood all over your fur, but no wounds? Not remembering the night before? Those are the most common signs."

"So...i-it's true..." Leafpool murmured as she looked down. "...I am a werewolf..."

Firestar padded up to her and nuzzled her softly. "I'm so sorry..." He mewed gently. "I wish I could have been there to protect you..."

Leafpool sighed. "It's fine."

"Firestar...I hate to make this worse, but something's going to have to be done about this. You might have to send her away."

"Send her away?!" Firestar's temper flared in an instant, in such a way that it made even Sonic reel backwards as his eyes switched to him. "Are you joking?! This is my daughter you're talking about! Why would I send her away?!"

"Hold on...you have to think about this. What would happen if the other Clans found this out?" Sonic began.

"I don't care if the other Clans find out!" The tomcat spat. "I'm not changing my mind. She _will_ stay in the Clan, and there is nothing _you or the other Clans_ can do about it."

The blue hedgehog stared for a few moments, then sighed. "Alright, have it your way. Please just know that I was only trying to help."

"Good." Firestar's voice was significantly calmer now, but still held an edge to it. "Now, Leafpool, clean your pelt. After that, we're all going back to the camp so I can inform the Clan." As he saw Sonic's mouth opening again, he hissed, " _Without_ question."

* * *

Sonic walked behind the two cats, a million thoughts running in his head at once. He didn't like how this was going, not at all. He'd wanted to keep Leafpool safe as much as Firestar did, but he knew that keeping her within the Clans was not the answer. He also didn't think that telling the Clan so soon was the right way to start, either. However, this was not his territory, and he'd already had his say in the matter. He could only wait and see how the Clan would respond.

The trio walked into the camp, and Firestar bounded ahead. Sonic sat down and watched as the tomcat climbed up the HighRock and yowled out the call. "All cats who can catch their own prey, join under the HighRock for a Clan meeting!" The cats in the camp quickly gathered around, a couple of surpised mutters heard from them. He sighed, already knowing how this was going to go. Firestar raised his tail for silence, then began. "I have some very unfortunate news. The event from yesterday has made a drastic change in Leafpool. She is now a werewolf, like Sonic."

Almost immediately, the Clan burst with frightened and shocked yowling. Sonic noticed some of the cats staring at him harshly, and he winced; clearly they thought he did it. Suddenly he noticed Sandstorm charging at him and he backed up in surprise. "YOU! YOU DID THIS TO HER!" She spat.

"No! No I didn't!" He protested.

"Sandstorm, stop!" Leafpool bounded up. "He really didn't. The wolf that attacked me did it, not him." He was relieved that the she-cat had jumped to his defense, and her mother had soon calmed down, somewhat.

"Well, what are we gonna do about it now?" Sonic recognized Cloudtail asking the question.

"What else? She will stay here, and nothing else will happen." Firestar mewed, a bit tartly. His words were followed by more shocked protests.

"What!"

"She could be dangerous!"

"What if she hurts my kits?!"

"Firestar. With all due respect...you must have bees in your brain!" Mousefur leapt up to her paws. "This is a werewolf you're talking about! We've seen clearly from Sonic himself how dangerous they can be. Now you're really saying we should keep one inside the heart of ThunderClan?"

"She is still my daughter! I will not make her leave just because of one change!"

He had enough. What had been on his mind since the trip to the lake just needed to be said. Might as well be said now. "It's not just one change."

"Didn't I say 'without question', Sonic? Now you-"

"Hey! You're a Clan leader, and I'm an Alpha. I have just as much right to speak as you do. Besides, this is too important to not be said." When Firestar didn't reply, he continued. "Like I said, this is not just one change. It's many changes. To everything. Her attitude, her instincts, all of it. You say you want to keep her here, but are you sure you're not acting solely out of emotion?"

"I believe I know what I'm acting upon." Firestar retorted.

"No, you don't. Let me tell you something. Leafpool is completely new to this, like a kit first seeing the camp. I know firsthand that she'll have no idea what she's doing half the time. She could start acting like a dog. She'll start getting much more aggressive. At some points, she will even be stuck in her wolf state of mind. Which means that she could attack someone." As the tom opened his mouth to fire back at him, he stood up. "Listen. You're not a werewolf. I am. I know the benefits and concequences of being one. You have no idea. How would you be able to handle moments when she rages? You know from experience how that can be."

The Clan stood with a stunned silence, then looked up expectantly at Firestar. The leader stared for a long moment. "...you make a good point..." He began shaking his head. "...but I just can't let her go." In the next moment, the Clan was filled with yowls of outrage.

"Are you kidding me?!" Jayfeather was up on his paws, his tail lashing and fangs bared. "Sonic just told us that she could put the Clan at risk of death, and you still wish to keep her?!" Sonic winced. That wasn't what he'd said at all! "I get that she's your daughter, and my own mother, but she's too dangerous to stay here! I'd rather not be killed by some raging half-mutt!"

"Jayfeather!" Lionblaze hissed at him from the side. The blind cat didn't budge from his spot. Sonic felt a sudden urge to scratch that look off his face, but forced himself to remain in one spot.

"ENOUGH!" The whole Clan yelped in shock at their leader's sudden rage. "Nothing any of you will say can change my mind! Leafpool is staying, and that is that. This meeting is over." He jumped down and walked into his den, leaving his Clan in yet another stunned silence.

Sonic sighed. He'd known just how bad this would have been from the start, but his friend just wouldn't listen. Suddenly nervous muttering broke out around him, and he took notice that several of the cats were glaring at Leafpool, like she was already looking to attack them. He walked over to her and leaned down to her. "Listen. We both know that your father won't change his mind, so I'll help you." He whispered. "Meet me at the island where Gatherings are usually held tomorrow. If anything, and I mean anything, happens in that time before, tell me."

"Okay." Leafpool nuzzled him gently. "Thank you..."

"Don't mention it." He said as he sat up. "Our kind's gotta stick together. Now, I should probably go." He glanced around. "I think I've made the Clan angry enough..."

"You didn't do anything. It was Firestar that messed this all up."

"I still had a part of it." Lowering his voice, he added, "Plus...I'm kinda being stared at. Clearly some cats are mad at me." Without another word, he turned and walked to the exit, aware of an uncomfortable amount of eyes watching him. He sighed as he was out the camp and making his way out the territory. It was only morning, and all this chaos had ensued. Something had to give...


	7. Chapter 4

Since the incident of the meeting, Leafpool had dealt with way more harsh treatment than before. If she had even set paw near the nursery, a queen was swatting her away and hissing. All the warriors moved away from her when she settled in one spot. Even her own mother kept a bit of a distance from her. Now she couldn't wait to meet Sonic tonight. At least he would understand what she was going through. Speaking of which, she had enountered some strange behaviors, just as Sonic had said she would. Just yesterday, when Jayfeather was being as snobbish as always, she had lashed out in sudden aggression. Now the gray tomcat had a scratch on his muzzle and avoided her path.

Today, she had started to think she was a dog, letting her tounge hang out when she was hot, and sometimes even snarling at passing cats. It didn't surprise her much that the Clan was alienating her, but they had already been warned of the side effects. Looking up to the sky, she saw the sun setting. It wouldn't be long now. "Hey, Leafpool." Turning to the voice, she found her sister Squirrelflight coming over.

"Hi, Squirrelflight." She mewed, a bit surpised.

"I know that the whole Clan are being foxhearts to you right now, but you need to know that I'm still here for you." Squirrelflight meowed. "We're still sisters, no matter what happens to you."

Leafpool smiled. The comforting words from her sister warmed her heart; it was nice to know that she had at least one other cat in the Clan that still cared. She nuzzled her lightly. "Thank you..."

"No problem. Now, I have a question for you." Leafpool was a bit surprised as she continued. "I saw you talking with Sonic before he left yesterday. I'm just curious, what was it about?"

Leafpool hesitated momentarily. There wasn't really much harm in telling her. "He was telling me to meet him at the Gathering place tonight. He said since Firestar wouldn't change his mind about my position with all that's happening to me now, he would help me out."

"That's awfully nice of him." Squirrelflight started, then hearing a sudden hiss, she flinched and whipped her head around to see Mousefur standing there.

"What do you think you're doing? Get away from her." She spat.

"Mousefur, this is my sister-"

"She is _also_ danger! Wolves are nothing to play at!" The elder growled. "Back away, _now!"_ The two girls flinched at her tone.

Squirrelflight opened her mouth to say something, but Leafpool got to it first. "Squirrelflight...just go."

"What?" Her sister looked at her. "But Leafpool-"

"Go. The Clan clearly doesn't trust me even a mouselength. Just go before they start thinking badly of you, too."

"...okay. Bye, Leafpool." Her sister slowly began walking away, speeding up while Mousefur was on her tail. Leafpool sighed and laid her head down. Even with the elder coming to whisk her away, it was still comforting to know she had someone genuinely there for her. She must've fallen asleep later, because the next time she opened her eyes, the moon was hanging high in the sky. She got to her paws immediately and raced out of the camp; she had almost forgotten about her meeting tonight!

While running through the lands, she felt like she had all the freedom in the world. She could run for days on end, leap as high as the birds could fly. She couldn't stop herself from letting out a small cheer of pure joy, something she hadn't experienced in a long time. It filled her so much that she almost didn't notice the fallen tree coming up in front of her. Gasping in surprise, she skidded to a stop just underneath the roots of the tree. "Whoa...that was close." She murmured, backing up and then leaping on the trunk. She kept her claws out a bit as she walked, clearly not wanting to fall into the water below. Soon, the blue hedgehog came into her sight. "Sonic!"

He looked up at her and smiled. "Leafpool. For a second I was thinking you wouldn't come."

"Yeah, I kinda...fell asleep." She chuckled nervously as she came down from the tree and trotted over to him.

"It's alright. Now, down to buisness." Sonic said. "Did anything happen to you?"

"It was like you said. The changes were so sudden. Not long after you left yesterday, I was just so...so angry. I was snapping at other cats for no real reason, and I scratched Jayfeather in the face when he was being a bit rude..."

Sonic couldn't hold a short chuckle. "He probably asked for it."

Leafpool narrowed her eyes momentarily before she continued. "And not too long ago, I kind of started acting like a dog. I was panting and slobbering like one, and sometimes snarling at other cats that came near me. It wasn't surprising that everyone's distanced themselves from me."

Sonic sighed. "Unfortunately, that's no surprise at all." Sadness showed in his eyes for a moment, then he shook himself briefly. "But never mind that now."

"I have a question though." She mewed. "When I was coming here, I was just running...but it made me so happy. Why?"

"That's simply because wolves love to run. That applies to us, too."

"Oh. No wonder." Leafpool commented. "Anyway, what's the first lesson?"

Sonic smirked softly. "Eager to learn, I see. The best thing to teach first is to control your anger."

Leafpool tilted her head. "I thought you have that problem."

"Er...I do, but it's not as bad as it was when I was still new at this." He murmured. "But anyway, lets give you a scenario. Close your eyes and imagine it." Once she did, he continued. "Your father...no, your sister, Squirrelflight is hunting along the ShadowClan border. She's making no trouble. Just scenting for prey, nothing big. But suddenly, two ShadowClan warriors run up to her, thinking she was going to cross the border delibrately. She tries to explain her reason for being so close, but they don't listen...and attack her. You hear her cry for help, and when you get there, she's losing the fight. What do you do?"

Leafpool snarled, like she was getting angry for real. "I'd rip their throats out..." She spat. "They shouldn't have laid a claw on her..."

"No, no. See, that's the problem right there." She opened her eyes again to look at him. "Look, I get it. Your sister is being attacked; of course you'd want to defend her. But you can't go straight to killing them, because that may get you in trouble with all of the Clans, just because you got angry. When you're angry, you don't think. Now, try again. What do you do?"

This time, Leafpool hesitated, thinking it through. "...I'd still attack. But...I'd only give them a few scratches to back off."

"And if they don't want to run?"

"...I...uh..." Leafpool winced. She didn't really know what else she could do.

"It's okay if you're not sure what to do, since you're new. That's actually where your wolf side comes into play." Sonic said, causing her to stare in confusion. "Werewolves are able to roar."

"So...if they didn't want to run, I'd just roar at them?"

"Exactly. A roar itself is scary enough. But coming from a little cat, or even a hedgehog for that matter? That's terrifying."

"But...how do I do it?"

"Well, normally it's not exactly you that does it, but the wolf inside of you. It's sound is just coming out of your mouth." Sonic explained. "The best way to learn how to do it is to imagine yourself in a situation in which the only way you could get out is to scare off your enemies."

"Hmm...okay. Then...let's try this. You're a huge fox raiding the camp with a couple others, and you're trying to eat the kits. But I come and stop you." Leafpool mewed. Seeing some pinecones on the ground nearby, and she pawed them together in a bundle.

"Perfect. Let's do this." Sonic then crouched down in front of her, snarling loudly. The sudden wild look in his eyes startled her, but she remained focused, plunging herself in the situation. This wasn't Sonic. This was a fox. A fox waiting to sink its teeth into the mewling kits behind her. She growled back, swinging her paw at the enemy. The "fox" wasn't even startled in the slightest, instead trying to bite her paw off. She snarled again and opened her mouth to let out a roar...but instead only let out a loud yowl with a bit of a growl in it.

She winced, blinking herself back into reality. "What was that?"

Sonic chuckled lightly. "It's okay. I didn't expect you to be able to do it so soon." He said, sitting down. "It was a good try though."

Leafpool sighed, licking her chest fur a bit. "I guess..."

Sonic nudged her lightly. "Cheer up. I'm sure you'll be able to do it when you really need it."

* * *

Leafpool was exhausted as she walked out the warriors' den the next morning. Though most of last night's lesson hadn't involved a lot of physical movement, it didn't change the fact that it had still went on very late. She stretched and yawned, scraping her claws on the ground a bit. "Leafpool!" She looked around to see Squirrelflight bounding up to her. "Hey! You're on the dawn patrol!"

"Wait, I am?" Leafpool mewed surpised.

"Yeah! I mean, it was on the order of Firestar, but you're still included!" Her sister was practically a kit; she was so happy.

"Who are we with?"

"Cloudtail, Sandstorm and Dustpelt." Leafpool winced slightly when she mentioned Dustpelt. She knew he had an unreasonable amount of fury towards her, for an unclear reason. True, there was her new...form...but other than that, his hostility was abnormal. "Don't worry, you'll be okay. I'll make sure Dustpelt keeps his jaws shut."

"Squirrelflight! Leafpool!" The sisters looked up to see their mother calling their names. Leafpool bounded over to the waiting cats by her sister's side, then slowed her pace as the group walked out of the camp. Out the corner of her eye, she noticed Dustpelt looking at her. She pretended she didn't see it and walked until the reached the first marking. While waiting for Sandstorm to renew the scent marker, she heard something rustling not far from them, and then voices. She was instantly alert.

Cloudtail noticed her. "What?"

"I heard voices..." She mewed. "...and I don't recognize them."

"Voices?" Sandstorm echoed, turning to them. "In that case...we'd better go figure out what the deal is." She waved her tail for the patrol to follow and took the lead through the newgrowth. Leafpool had never been more alert of her surroundings; she took in every sound that dared to reach her ears, every scent that wafted by her nostrils. Suddenly she caught the scent of the unwelcomed cats.

"Rouges." She murmured.

"How do you know?" Cloudtail asked, looking a bit shocked. "We haven't even scented them yet..."

"I have. There's about three of them." Leafpool mewed as if it was nothing big. "I think they're a couple mouselengths inside the border now..."

"Well, since you seem to have such a good idea where they are, why don't you take the lead?" Sandstorm stepped to the side, looking at her daughter with some admiration. Leafpool hesitated momentarily, then walked up to where her mother had just been and motioned with her tail for the others to follow. It didn't take long to locate the rouges; one black and white she-cat, and two toms, one gray and one a ginger tabby.

"Are you really sure about this, Sock?" The tabby looked at the she-cat. "Don't other cats live around here?"

"So what? If we find them, we'll fight em." The she-cat retorted.

"You sure about that?" The three cats were startled by Leafpool's voice. The patrol formed a circle around the trespassers. "What are you doing in ThunderClan territory?"

"What does it look like we're doing?" The gray tom spat.

"Oh I don't know...going somewhere you don't belong, perhaps?" Dustpelt growled. "Stealing our prey?"

"This is a _forest._ It doesn't belong to _anyone._ " Sock hissed at him. "We can hunt here if we want to."

"No you can't. Plus, I hope you realize you're outnumbered." Leafpool mewed, unsheathing her claws. "Leave our territory. Now."

"You'll have to make us." Sock snarled, lowering to the ground. Without another word, she let out a yowl and leapt on Sandstorm. Leafpool immediately hissed and launched herself at the she-cat, and the group of cats were thrown into battle. Leafpool's vision was practically hyperfocused on the rouges as she fought; her anger filled her from the tips of her claws to the tip of her tail, and she used it to her advantage to deliver devastating blows on the unwelcomed cats. It was only when she was kicked off that she managed to calm herself down. Upon rising to her paws, she saw the patrol standing in a line with the three rouges in front, severely weakened.

Leafpool stepped to the front, rage burning her fur. "Now leave."

"If you really think we'll just run like cowards, you forest cats are dumber than I thought." The grey tom mewed. Leafpool growled loudly; something began building up inside of her. She didn't know what it was, but she had to let it out. She opened her mouth to shout at them...and out came a furious roar. All the cats around her let out shouts of surprise, but she hardly noticed.

"U-Uh...o-on second thought...m-m-maybe we could hunt somewhere else." Sock stuttered. "LET'S GO GUYS!" The rouges turned tail and fled like scared kits. Leafpool stood there, breathing somewhat heavily as she watched them go. She could feel the aggressive presence leaving her, and soon she was once again aware of all her surroundings.

"Uh...Leafpool?" She looked over to see Squirrelflight staring at her in fear. "What was that?"

"...what was what?" She questioned.

"Do you not know what you just did?" Cloudtail meowed. Leafpool simply shook her head, genuinely confused. "Leafpool. You just...roared."

"I...I did?" Leafpool muttered. She couldn't believe it; only the night before, she wasn't able to produce such a sound, and now she could suddenly do it? "Wow..."

"...does this not terrify you in the least?" Cloudtail asked from the side.

"...no. It...it makes me feel powerful." Leafpool mewed.

"Okay, so you can feel powerful later. We need to finish this patrol." Sandstorm reminded them. She took the lead again as the group of cats continued on. Leafpool found herself smiling as she walked; she was already taking on the benefits of the wolf, and it was seeming like it would only get better.


	8. Chapter 5

Moons and moons flew by. Leafpool found herself growing restless in her own camp. She yearned to be outside of the territory she knew, into the unknown. Even the warrior code itself was beginning to feel dull, because she knew it so well. Leafpool growled softly, scraping her claws in the earth. She was itching to be doing something, and it didn't help when nobody even attempted to communicate with her.

But that didn't matter. By now, she had come to fully accept every bit of who, and what, she was. If her Clan couldn't, that was their problem. Looking up to the sky, she saw it was getting dark. She wished the sun would set faster. Tonight was a full moon, and she was longing to go out and transform into her more powerful counterpart. Hearing voices from outside the entrance, she looked up to see Sonic coming in with Firestar, their heads close together. Curious but not wanting to seem obvious, she walked over to the fresh-kill pile, listening in on their conversation. "...just don't know what to do." Firestar was mewing. "I've never seen her so restless. Every time she's on a patrol, she stares off beyond the territory..."

"That's because her wolf side wants to be free. I keep trying to tell you, I know what's going on." Sonic replied. "Unless loyal to a pack, we like to do as we please. We take advantage of our freedom. Staying in a place that feels like everyone expects a certain behavior...isn't something our kind is very fond of."

"I..." Firestar was quiet for a long moment.

"Firestar, you have to face it. She's not going to be happy here anymore."

"But...that's my daughter...I don't want to just let her go..."

Sonic sighed. "Look, I know how you feel. Of course you don't want to give her up like that. But I also know that keeping someone around is pointless if they're miserable." After a moment, he added, "At least think about it." Sonic glanced toward her and she quickly looked to the pile, picking up a rabbit.

She turned around with the rabbit and pretended to just notice them. "Oh, hey Sonic." She mewed around the fur of the prey.

"Hey." Sonic glanced over at Firestar, who was walking away, then looked back at her. "You were listening the whole time, weren't you?"

Leafpool flinched. "I...was trying not to make it seem obvious."

"Nobody sits at that pile for five minutes without getting any prey. It was a little obvious." Sonic chuckled lightly.

"Oh..." She was silent for a moment, then dropped the rabbit. "But anyway. Is Firestar going to let me go?"

"...I'm not too sure, actually. But I know he's at least thinking about it." Sonic replied. "I know you don't want to be contained."

"I just...I can't help it. I want to go out into the unknown so bad!" She mewed. "I want to be free, where no one can judge me...but I have a life here, and I've lived by the Warrior and Medicine Cat code my whole life...what's wrong with me?"

"Nothing. That's completely normal." He gently assurd her. "This was exactly how I felt when I was still unfamiliar to it. But I wouldn't worry about it too much, especially not tonight. We can go out farther, if you'd like."

Leafpool perked up almost immediately. "Can we? Please?"

Sonic nodded. "Of course. It's not like you can exactly go to the Gathering tonight anyway..."

"Leafpool!" She looked to the side to see Firestar trotting up to her. "You're coming to the Gathering tonight."

"What?" She mewed in shock.

"Firestar, have you lost your mind?!" Sonic barked, so suddenly that it caused her to flinch. When she looked at him, he looked absolutely furious. "Are you not at all concerned about what the other Clans-"

"What about them?! If those Clans think she's bad news, I could care less!" Firestar spat.

"I'm not talking about what they'll _think,_ Firestar! I'm talking about what they'll _do!_ " Sonic growled back. "The only one I know won't do anything is Whitestar, and that's solely because she knows me! But what about Mistystar, Blackstar, and Onestar? It's basically 100-to-1 here. What if they all attack her when they see her as a wolf? What if they _kill her?"_

Leafpool noticed the rest of the cats in the clearing were listening in on this debate. "They won't. My Clan will protect her." Firestar mewed.

"Firestar, _open your eyes!_ They won't protect her! Not willingly!" Sonic was basically screaming at this point. "Trust me, I know the difference. The only reason they'd do it is because you're the leader and whatever you say goes! That's it!"

"That is not true." Firestar hissed.

"Oh, it's not true? They'd protect her at all costs? Then why don't we ask your precious Clan that?" Sonic looked up to the other cats. "Well? How about it? Would any of you protect Leafpool if the Clans attacked her?" His words were followed by silence.

"I would." Some cat finally spoke up. Squirrelflight bounded to the front of the cats. "She's my sister. I'd protect her with my life."

"Alright. Anyone else?" Sonic looked back to the group of cats. Leafpool scanned the cats around her, realizing that all of them looked either hostile or uncertain, and that no one was willing to answer.

"ThunderClan...Leafpool is still your Clanmate!" Firestar mewed, beginning to look desperate.

"No she's not." She and her father both turned back to look at Sonic. "Do you understand now? The majority of your Clan only sees her as danger. First she betrayed her Clan by having kits, and now this? She's not a ThunderClan warrior in their eyes."

"...how can you justify that?!" Firestar spat. "No one has said-"

"I can justify it because I know what it's like." Sonic snarled, his voice eerily stable and quiet. "I used to have friends that I trusted for years. As soon as I became a werewolf though, they started turning away from me. They abused me. They broke me down with everything they had in them. To them...I wasn't their equal. You know what they saw me as?" He leaned close to Firestar. "A raging, mindless creature that will murder anything in its path. A beast that had to be controlled. This is no different." The entire clearing was silent. Sonic stood up and looked at Leafpool. "I'll come and get you tonight." With a glare at Firestar, he added, "You are not going to that Gathering." Sonic walked out with everyone watching him quietly. Leafpool couldn't help but feel bad for him...


End file.
